Chandigarh, July 20 - Into its fifth year in power in Haryana, the Congress is still calling the shots in state politics and might even call for early assembly polls. The best indicator of its strength comes from the opposition Indian National Lok Dal's (INLD) plunging political fortunes.

Top leaders of the INLD, one of whom was with the party for over 30 years, have deserted it and most of them are joining the Congress.

The INLD has lost Sampat Singh, a former finance minister and one of the more suave faces of the party which is otherwise dominated by former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his sons Ajay Singh and Abhay Singh.

The exodus from the INLD comes just months before Haryana's assembly polls. While elections in the state are scheduled for February next year - just seven months away - the Congress wants these to be advanced to October-November this year to cash in on the party's recent electoral exploits.

The INLD, which was heavily banking on staging a comeback in Haryana politics, got a drubbing recently when the ruling Congress won nine of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections this year.

In the May general elections, the INLD could manage a lead only in seven assembly segments - out of a total of 90 seats - while alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led in seven others. The Congress led in 59 assembly segments.

The INLD, which ruled Haryana between 1999 and 2005, was trounced in the February 2005 assembly polls. It got only nine seats in the assembly. Led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Congress government assumed power in Haryana in March 2005 after a landslide victory, making a comeback in the state after nine years.

Close on the heels of Sampat Singh, Sushil Kumar Indora, the INLD's deputy leader in the Haryana assembly and Chautala's confidant, not only quit the INLD but also resigned from the state assembly where he represented Ellenabad, and joined the Congress.